Chrysanthemum plant named Yellow Fina

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named Yellow Fina particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; anemone to daisy capitulum type; yellow ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of up to 10 cm at maturity; uniform eight week photoperiodic flowering response to short days; peduncle length ranging from 8 to 20 cm on open, terminal sprays; medium plant height when grown as a single stem spray cut mum; and excellent tolerance to low temperatures for bud initiation and flower development. 
     The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, and referred to by the cultivar name Yellow Fina. 
     Yellow Fina, identified as 84-567B06, is a product of a mutation induction program which had the objective of creating new Chrysanthemum cultivars that would expand the color range of an existing cultivar while retaining all other traits. 
     Yellow Fina was discovered and selected by Cornelis P. VandenBerg on Nov. 17, 1987 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. as one flowering plant with a flowering block established as rooted cuttings from stock plants which had been exposed as unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1750 rads. The irradiated parent was the cultivar identified as Fina, disclosed in plant patent application Ser. No. 07/173,082, now U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,881. 
     The first act of asexual reproduction of Yellow Fina was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in January 1988 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., by technicians working under formulations established and supervised by Cornelis P. VandenBerg. 
     Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successive plantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for Yellow Fina are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. 
     Yellow Fina has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength. 
     The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif. under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial greenhouse practice. The low temperature tolerance of the new variety as noted below was determined in repeated flowerings in Bogota, Colombia. 
     The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of Yellow Fina, which, in combination, distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar: 
     1. Flat capitulum form. 
     2. Anemone to daisy capitulum type. 
     3. Yellow ray floret color. 
     4. Diameter across face of capitulum of up to 10 cm at maturity. 
     5. Uniform eight week photoperiodic flowering response to short days. 
     6. Peduncle length ranging from 8 to 20 cm on open, terminal sprays. 
     7. Medium plant height, requiring two long day weeks prior to short days to attain a flowered plant height of 90 to 100 cm for year-round flowerings. 
     8. Excellent tolerance to low temperatures for bud initiation and flower development.

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical inflorescence and leaf characteristics of Yellow Fina, with the colors being as nearly true as possible with illustrations of this type. The color photograph is a perspective view of Yellow Fina grown as a single stem cut spray mum.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in comparison to Yellow Fina are the parent cultivar Fina and the induced mutations Cream Fina and Dark Yellow Fina, created through the same mutation induction program as Yellow Fina, and disclosed in applicant's pending application Ser. Nos. 07/435,815 and 07/435,823, respectively, filed simultaneously with the present application. All traits of Yellow Fina are similar to those of Fina, except the color of the ray florets and of the anemone cushion. The color of the ray florets of Yellow Fina is yellow, compared to the white ray florets of Fina. The anemone cushion of Yellow Fina when mature is yellow, as contrasted to the yellow-green mature anemone cushion of Fina. Yellow Fina distinguishes from Cream Fina and Dark Yellow Fina both by its bright yellow ray florets and its mature yellow anemone cushion. The ray florets of Cream Fina are a much lighter cream yellow, while the ray florets of Dark Yellow Fina are a much darker yellow.

In the following description color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined on plant material grown as a single stem cut spray mum in Salinas, Calif. on July 12, 1989.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv Yellow Fina.

Commercial.--Anemone to daisy cut spray mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Anemone to daisy. Anemone cushion is small and slow in development, and capitulum type is close to daisy.

Diameter across face.--Up to 10 cm at maturity.

Diameter of anemone cushion.--Up to 2 cm.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Yellow.

Color (upper surface).--6C.

Color (under surface).--Closest to 5D.

Shape.--Flat, oblong. Older flowers show longitudinal petal twist.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--Closest to 6A; disc florets in photograph are not fully mature.

Color (immature).--Closest to 143B.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; scant pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--Medium; 90 to 100 cm as a single stem cut mum with two long day weeks prior to short days.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

Shape.--Lobed, slightly serrated. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named Yellow Fina, as described and illustrated. 